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Community Corner

Christmas Cheer is Best Shared With the Family

The holiday is my personal favorite for bringing together the family. It is a second Thanksgiving.

If I have done my math correctly, this year is my 18th Christmas. Eighteen may be a lot or a little to some, but for me, is enough to begin understanding the true meaning of Christmas.

My reasons for loving this time of year may have changed a few times, but my love for the season has never dwindled. The nonstop Christmas carols, the decorated houses aglow, and the familiar smells of pine wafting through the crisp air are all things I look forward to in the winter season. Something about the widespread sentiment of holiday spirit makes Christmas a holiday favorite. But of course, when I was a child, Christmas was all about the season of giving, or from my naive toy-hungry eyes, the season of receiving.

I remember waking up on Christmas mornings and feeling the excitement that has kids up-and-running down the stairs, skipping the last few steps and skidding to a stop right in front of the shining tree. The glistening presents under the brush labeled “from Santa Claus” would be the sight I looked forward to most, especially more so than seeing relatives who would pinch my cheeks.

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My parents (and their wallets) must be grateful that I have learned that this holiday means far more than unraveling wrapped treasures.

Yet, another meaning Christmas held for me was that its arrival meant a break from school: no more quizzes, tests, or homework. For a few weeks, there would be no more early morning wake-up calls or icky cafeteria lunches.

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No. Surely, Christmas is not about the bundles of toys or lack of schoolwork. Christmas is about the one thing that never seemed to change – what truly made each past Christmas a holiday to remember was the family. The wonderful spirit of winter brings families together, and what more can a person ask for?

Being my 18th Christmas, this will be my last one while still living at home. Next year I will be off at college, and Christmastime is what I will be begging for to bring the family back together.

My older brother even has limited time now that he no longer lives at home. Having picked him up from the airport two days before Christmas, and having to take him back tomorrow morning has shaken me awake. I realize how special this holiday is because the time together truly is precious. I have had big Christmases with all the extended family and friends, and little ones with solely my immediate family; I have learned that the best Christmas memories are from celebrating the day with the people I love.

The great memories come from keeping the family traditions we have each year. Every year, my mother buys a new ornament that represents something someone in the family may have liked. Our Christmas tree is filled with an eclectic variety of decorations, from Disney princesses to a Star Wars Jedi.

Once, my parents let me decorate our tree and I took the liberty to choose all of our Star Wars ornaments first. I made sure to put Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in fighting positions.

Decorating the tree itself is a fun tradition for our family because we all get into moment. We usually play holiday songs and belt the lyrics, or watch Christmas movie classics like Home Alone to add to the mood.

When Christmas Eve comes around, my parents cook up a storm. The scrumptious Eve feast rivals that of Thanksgiving, as my father roasts his signature prime rib and my mother makes the best once-a-year-only potatoes drowned in Gruyere with a nice crispy top.

Then comes time for church, and then making our rounds through neighborhoods to see the holiday lights. After all the usuals, we come back home and end in the late evening with everyone choosing one gift to open.

Our traditions are simple, but that is all that my family needs. As long as we are spending time together and making up for the time lost throughout the year from our busy schedules, nothing else matters. I value the times I have shared with my family at Christmas and feel so lucky that we are whole.

The presents are great luxuries; the temporary nonexistent homework or work is a relief, but being with your loved ones is priceless.

Now I know why people say “home is where the heart is.”

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